


Give This Man His Wings

by Batsutousai



Series: Interaction [2]
Category: British Actor RPF, Marvel Avengers Movies Universe, Thor (Movies) RPF
Genre: M/M, Off-screen Character Death, Torture, War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-28
Updated: 2012-10-28
Packaged: 2017-11-17 04:51:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 17,353
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/547805
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Batsutousai/pseuds/Batsutousai
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is the story of humans and monsters and gods, of living and dying for your home, of facing down futuristic armies with pitchforks and torches, of discovering hope when you need it most.<br/>This is the story of how Loki Odinson turned his back on his family to spend his last days with the mortal he'd fallen in love with, prepared to suffer any fate if it meant he could spend one last hour with Thomas' pulse steady against his skin.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Give This Man His Wings

**Author's Note:**

> **Disclaim Her:** This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Marvel. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. The characters of Thomas "Tom" Hiddleston, Chris Hemsworth, and anyone else you don't recognise from the comics are based on real people, and no offence is intended; this is only for the amusement of myself and other like-minded (read: mentally ill) fans.
> 
>  **A/N:** Sequel to _Walkin' Through This World Alone_ and _Code Name: Group Hug_. I had intended to have _CN:GH_ posted before this one, but Chris has been giving me oodles of trouble. (Surprise, surprise. XP) So. You definitely should read _WTTWA_ before this fic, but you should be able to keep up fine without reading _CN:GH_. (Though, if it's up, read it. Says I, says I.)
> 
> Warnings are relatively light, compared to _WTTWA_ , but I do beat up on Loki and Tom both, so do be warned. Porn is limited, word count is extreme (worse than _WTTWA_ , not quite as bad as _Victims of Ourselves_ ), and feels may or may not require tissues.

Thomas and Loki had returned to London after months abroad – trading between interviews and filming fast enough to make both their heads spin – at long last. They managed to catch a couple of days break before Thomas was due on the set for _Thor: The Dark World_ , which were spent spending time with Thomas' family, ducking paparazzi, and curled up together in their bed.

Thomas' sudden jump in popularity had left the mortal completely flummoxed, and Loki made a habit of pointing out, every time Thomas started muttering disbelievingly, "Of _course_ they'd love you, you _idiot_. You play _me_." To which Thomas would roll his eyes and comment on Loki's self-superiority, forgetting entirely to hold on to his disbelief. In truth, though, Loki was torn between jealousy at the attention his lover was receiving, and pleasure that Thomas had received the adulation he so rightly deserved. Loki also felt no small pleasure that his mortal lover's 'fans' would never, in truth, have him, for he was Loki's.

Despite the good in Thomas' popularity – the ease of finding work and being able to provide for both himself and Loki, who could not provide for himself; the love and support of people the world over; the knowledge that the mortal actor was bringing happiness to so many – there was also a great deal of bad. The lack of privacy was daunting, but made easier by Loki's ability to drag Thomas into his semi-corporeal plane and duck those that would hold them while Thomas wished to explore a new city or get something to eat that wasn't set food. Loki's regular pranks on unsuspecting paparazzi made for more than a couple laughs for Thomas, as well as those who couldn't see Loki whom were equally bothered by the annoyances.

The worst, so far as Loki was concerned, were those mortals who called themselves fans, yet would turn against Thomas at the slightest provocation. Following close behind were those mortals who would attack actresses with whom Thomas starred or spent but a second with, including his sister, or act falsely as someone they were not for Thomas' attention. Loki had taken part in more than one rant against such, his acidic comments delighting those 'true fans' and, hopefully, bringing those less loving to their knees, where they belonged.

Thomas seemed mostly resigned to the evils of his popularity and focussed on the good, rather than the bad. (And if he became just the littlest more interested in taking Loki to bed after a rash of nasty comments, Loki wasn't about to deny him.) Loki wasn't nearly so benevolent, however, and they'd had more than one argument about it.

It was such an argument – set pictures had been promised by an account pretending to be the official _Thor: The Dark World_ account, which turned into another stupid Loki'd joke, and after the fakes had claimed Thomas was in on the joke, everything had exploded – which found Loki curled up on the couch at Thomas' flat while the mortal and Chris Hemsworth – who was staying with them at Thomas' insistence and with Loki's approval – left for a short day on set.

Loki was _not_ pouting – okay, maybe a _little_ – and glaring at the closed laptop on the table in front of him. He could do things on the internet, but he feared the stupidity from yesterday – and Thomas' stupid _apology_ , as if it had _anything_ to do with him – would just send him into a fit again. He tried reading a book – Thomas had an extensive enough collection, both digital and paper, and Chris had brought a couple of his own – but that failed to hold his attention for more than an hour before he was up and pacing, looking for something more active to do.

He thought about going outside, but a quick glance showed the previously clear skies to be clouding over with nasty promise. He frowned, briefly concerned for the two mortals in Surrey, then threw up his hands, figuring they could take care of themselves, and went in search of Thomas' secret stash of superhero toys. He was pretty sure the mortal hadn't realised Loki had found it yet, and as long as Loki didn't do any irreparable damage while using the Loki figure to smash the varied heroes, it was likely Thomas would never discover his knowledge.

Lightning flashed outside the windows, thunder rumbling angrily in its wake. Loki paused for a moment, glancing out the window in the bedroom with no small concern; he'd been on Midgard for long enough to know that storms didn't act like that, no more than they did on Asgard. Unless Thor was involved.

"Thor's in a different realm," Loki reminded himself. "Freak event." He dropped to the ground and felt under the bed for the small chest with the figures inside and pulled it out with a smile edged with nerves.

Loki had just stepped back into the living room, headed for the dining room table to have enough room for an epic battle that the Avengers would lose – Loki would take especial pleasure in beating on the Thor figure, though he usually included his brother on his side, more in a show of fondness for Chris than because he honestly believed such would occur in reality – when another boom of thunder shook the flat, followed by a pounding on the front door.

Loki froze, clutching the chest over his thudding heart and staring at the door. Thomas and Chris both had keys if they had need to return, and those in London who knew of Loki and wouldn't freak out to find the door opening of its own accord were either at work themselves, or knew to find the two mortals on set, should they have need to speak with them. Any others would simply have to return at another time.

The person outside pounded again, then called, " **Loki!** "

Only one person could boom in quite that way, though Chris could manage a fair approximation.

"Go away!" Loki shouted back at his brother, taking two steps back into the bedroom and hiding around the edge of the doorway.

"Open this door, Brother," Thor ordered through the door, thunder rumbling warningly outside. "I have no wish to break it down."

"Then _don't_ ," Loki snapped, stepping out from around the doorway and glaring at the front door. "Just _leave_."

"Loki," Thor said and something bumped against the door. "Please. I have orders to speak with you."

"Go back home and tell Odin he can shove his orders up his–"

" _Loki_!"

Loki's lips curled with a smirk for a brief moment before thunder again boomed, shaking the flat. " _Stop_ that, you ugly _oaf_!" Loki snapped. Was it really any wonder that Loki was terrified of thunderstorms, having a brother capable of creating them when his temper was high? Thomas had been endlessly amused the first time he'd found Loki curled under the covers, and he still grinned over it, but he'd learned that teasing Loki only ended in Thomas sporting a bruise and Loki locking himself in the nearest small space with a door for the extent of the storm.

"Open this door!" Thor shouted back and slammed a hand against the door.

"Oiy!" Loki heard from outside the door, and he couldn't decide whether he was happy or horrified to recognise Chris' voice. "Stop hitting our door!"

There was a quiet moment, then Thor said, "Who are you, mortal, that you would wear my face?"

"Chris Hemsworth. _Move_."

"You would think–" Thor's voice cut off suddenly, then, "And _you_."

Loki hurried towards the door, because he didn't like that note in his brother's voice, and he would rather he stood between Thor's anger than Chris or – worse – Thomas.

"If Loki's hiding in the bathroom because of you, I will find a knife and give you reason to wear an eye patch to match your father's," Thomas stated, calm and pitched in a tone Loki used against opponents whom had tickled his ire. "Get out of my way. _Now_."

Loki pulled the door open just as Thomas was moving to press his key into the lock. Thomas blinked once, then stepped forward and wrapped Loki in a hug. Loki wrapped his free arm around Thomas in return, burying his nose against the mortal's throat and taking comfort from his nearness. It was still storming outside and Thor stood in their doorway, staring in disbelief from next to Chris, and Loki wasn't sure what changes his brother would bring, but he knew he didn't want them, didn't want to lose the home he'd found with Thomas.

"Guys, move," Chris ordered. "Tom and I both need to change, and we're starting to attract a bit of attention."

Loki blinked and realised that Thomas was, indeed, soaked. "Idiot," he snarled, pulling away and pointing towards the bedroom. "I won't have you catching another cold on me, you complete moron."

Thomas chuckled and he leaned forward to press a kiss to Loki's cheek. "I'm going," he promised and moved towards the bedroom. "Put the kettle on?" he added over his shoulder as Chris edged past Loki, familiar enough with the magic that kept him and Loki apart to know when there was room to get by.

Loki and Thor stared at each other for a long moment, Loki glaring while Thor just looked flummoxed. Finally, Loki snarled, "Are you going to stand there like some dim mortal all day, or will you be coming in?"

"Loki!" Thomas called from the bedroom, disapproval in his voice.

Loki's words did move Thor to action, however, and he stepped through the open door and past the slighter god. Loki closed the door behind him, only keeping from slamming it to avoid another shout of disapproval from Thomas, then turned and stalked into the kitchen. Thor's footsteps, heavy even on carpet, followed him and Loki ground his teeth together to keep from snarling at the blond oaf.

Thor held his silence until Loki had the kettle warming on the hob and was pulling out mugs. "You look...well, Brother."

"And you look ever the same," Loki replied with a bite. He placed the fourth mug a touch too hard and it knocked loudly against the worktop, not breaking only because it was plastic. (Loki knew better than to give his brother ceramic.) "Why have you come?" he demanded, biting back, _'Why now? Why not thirty years ago when I needed you?'_ because Loki was no more interested in seeing Thor cry for Loki's pain now, than he had been then.

"Know this, Brother," Thor said, voice torn between sorrow and a tightly controlled anger, "This was not the punishment I would have seen befall you."

"No?" Loki returned, pressing his fingers against the chest he'd set next to the mugs and smiling bitterly. "You would have rather sewn my lips shut. _Again_."

There was a sharp breath just behind Loki and he tensed when Thomas' familiar arms wrapped around his waist, the mortal's head burying against Loki's shoulder.

"I had not wished to see you in any pain," Thor swore, the sorrow heavy in his voice.

" _Liar_ ," Loki hissed; he'd seen Thor's expression when he'd led him back to Asgard, the anger dark in the usually friendly blue eyes.

"I believe him," Chris said, and Loki glanced back to see the blond mortal leaning against the doorway, wet hair tangled around his ears and eyes staring, unseeing, at where Loki and Thomas stood before the array of mugs.

From anyone else, Loki would have brushed the words off, but it was hard to do when coming from his brother's look-alike; Chris had long been Thor's voice for Loki, the brother he longed to speak with, but could no longer reach. He let his shoulders slump in defeat and leaned back against Thomas, who turned his head and pressed a kiss to the side of Loki's neck.

Thor glanced uncertainly back at the blond mortal, then returned his gaze to Loki and Thomas. "Did not your punishment disallow the contact of mortals?" he enquired, sounding uncertain.

Thomas let go and Loki knew the mortal had wish to speak so Chris, too, might hear. "Yeah. I'm, ah, sort of the only one that can. Well, the only one that can directly interact with Loki, at least. Loki talks with people over the internet, and he and Chris sort of use me as a medium, when they're not typing to each other over instant messenger." He rubbed a hand over his chin, then held it out towards Thor. "Tom Hiddleston, by the way. I'd apologise for earlier, but, well, I'm not really sorry."

"Surprise, surprise," Loki muttered.

"Thor," the elder god said, uncertain. "Thank you, I believe, for taking care of my brother."

Loki tensed at the finality in those words. "What is _that_ supposed to mean?" he snarled.

"I thought Lo still had, what? Seventy years left?" Chris said, frowning at his caped clone.

"You're not taking him back," Thomas insisted, catching on to Thor's meaning after Chris and Loki's comments.

The kettle let out a whistle, sharp in the sudden tenseness and making them all jump.

"Tea," Chris said unhelpfully, forehead lined with a heavy frown.

Thomas nodded and turned to see to the kettle, Loki standing a little too close next to him, yet not quite in the way.

They settled around the dining room table, Loki and Chris well-used to Thomas' insistence that, while they were in his home, all meals – a quick cuppa included – be taken around the table, as they rarely made use of one while away. Thor followed, uncertain and grim.

"I think I now understand why Father gave this to me," Thor commented after everyone had taken a sip. He passed a golden armguard across the table, not unlike those Loki had once worn with his armour.

Loki considered the armguard for a long moment, wishing he could read the magic he could barely sense woven into the metal. With his magic closed to him, however, that was but a dream, and he allowed a humourless smile before slipping it on, figuring that the Allfather couldn't possibly make his life any more a hel than it had been, not with so simple a creation.

Chris jerked in surprise next to him, his eyes lighting _on_ Loki, for once. "Shit." His gaze flickered between Loki and Thomas, then he commented, "Lo, you need a haircut," as he reached out to touch Loki's long black hair, which he hadn't much cared to cut for some years.

Loki was left staring in disbelief as Chris not only saw him, but then tugged on a lock of his hair.

"My God," Thomas breathed, then winced reflexively, used to Loki preening when he mentioned the word 'god'.

Chris pushed out of his chair and Loki had enough time to start partway out of his chair, looking to flee, before the blond mortal had wrapped him in a hug.

Thomas let out a brief laugh before he covered his mouth, eyes dancing.

Loki glowered at his lover from behind Chris' large arms. He allowed the hug for a moment, aware of how much Chris had wanted to do it, before he finally snapped, "Hemsworth, let me go before I hurt you such that you can't act for a week."

Chris laughed and returned to his seat, grinning like an absolute idiot.

Loki wanted to make a comment – and Chris would actually _hear_ him for once – but Thomas said, "What does Odin want?"

Chris' smile vanished and Loki looked to his brother in time to catch the tensing of his shoulders, though whether it was for Thomas' disrespect or the changed atmosphere, Loki couldn't tell. Thor nodded once, then said, "I am uncertain how much you know, as to the proceedings that led to my brother's punis–"

"He brought the Chitauri down on an alternate Earth," Chris said, smile falsely friendly. And was it really any wonder that Loki would prefer Chris to Thor any day?

"Don't forget Thanos," Thomas added absently from behind his mug.

"Mm. Puppet master. Always playing from behind the scenes."

"Not this time," Thor announced and both mortals straightened, worry sharp in their eyes. Loki narrowed his eyes at his brother, demanding without words for Thor to explain. Thor sighed, sorrow heavy on his shoulders, and said, "We became aware of him but one year ago. He rained fire and death down on Midgard – _our_ Midgard – and laid waste to the entire planet."

"God," Thomas breathed, horrified. Across from him, Chris ran a hand over his face, expression grim. "Were there any survivors?"

Thor nodded. "Not many: Captain Rogers, Lady Natasha, Dr Banner, and some dozen SHIELD agents and younger Avengers. They fight, now, for Asgard." Thor met Loki's eyes. "Thanos sits at our gates. We've held him off well thus far, and may well push him back, given time, but all will be assured with your assistance. Father will end your sentence–"

"No," Loki said, shaking with the effort to keep his voice calm.

" _Loki_ ," Thomas hissed disapproving. "You can't refuse–"

"You do not comprehend the idiocy of these actions," Loki snapped. Thomas flinched and Loki looked away for a moment before turning his glare on his brother. "You would have me chose between worlds."

"I don't– Loki, you make no sense–"

"You didn't know," Loki realised, staring at the honest confusion and hurt writ across Thor's face. "He didn't tell you." He laughed, bitter and not at all surprised. "He wouldn't; you would have refused."

"Lo," Chris interrupted, confusion and fear warring in his voice, "why don't you explain things to the rest of us?"

Loki smiled bitterly and reached out to wrap his fingers around Thomas' wrist, taking comfort in the steady thrum of his pulse. Thomas moved his hand from his mug and twisted to return the grasp, long used to the ways Loki drew comfort from him. "The powers which sent you here will have attracted Thanos' attention," Loki told Thor, keeping his voice steady, because it needn't be sharp to wound his brother, not for these words. "Thanos wishes to bring death to any he might, and he has his own means of passing the walls between realities; Odin would use this world as a distraction, a quick snack set before the Mad Titan that will take him but a moment to devour, but would still have his eyes turned from Asgard."

"Norns," Thor breathed.

Thomas' grip had tightened against Loki's arm as he'd spoken, and a glance showed his mortal lover torn between horror and resignation. To Loki's other side, Chris had hidden his face in his hands, shoulders held low.

"Had I known, Brother–" Thor swore.

"This was not your doing," Loki replied tiredly, anger burning in his heart at Odin's cruelty. He shook his head. "Had the Allfather sent you but a year ago, I would have returned. Now..." Loki offered Thor a smile. "Asgard is defended, this world is not; I will offer what little I might. If it is the will of the Norns that I die here, then I will."

"Loki, no," Thomas insisted, tugging on Loki's arm. "No. Go home."

"This _is_ my home," Loki insisted, because this world had become more his home over the past year, than Asgard had ever been. "I will not leave you, _any_ of you," he added, looking to Chris, who managed a broken smile, "to die. Not when I might offer assistance. I'm hurt that you would think me so heartless," he finished, turning back to Thomas.

Thomas looked away, ashamed and hurting. "I don't want to watch you die," he admitted. "I know you don't want to watch _me_ die, either, but..."

"I am long resigned to it," Loki finished for him, because they both knew that Loki would outlive Thomas by centuries.

"I might–" Thor interrupted and grimaced when the other three turned to him. "I might remain. To give my own aid."

"No," Loki insisted. "Your place is in Asgard."

"This threat is _my doing_ , Brother!"

"This threat is Odin's doing," Thomas stated, just sharp enough to catch Thor's attention. "This burden his his to carry, not yours."

"Your addition here would do little but slow Thanos," Loki soothed, seeing the lines of reluctant defeat in the set of Thor's shoulders. "You're needed in Asgard; here you will just be another casualty."

"Don't sacrifice the universe for your pride," Chris added and Thor flinched, because these two mortals always knew exactly which weapons would cut the deepest against the gods they portrayed.

"I understand," Thor said and stood from the table.

"How long do we have?" Chris asked, sudden and appearing to surprise even himself.

Thor shook his head. "The journey took me a little over a day; I know little of this magic, however." He looked to Loki, then.

Loki shrugged. "A smaller force will take shorter to travel the barrier. For one person, a day is about right; for the numbers he will send... I give us a month at the most, a week at the least."

Chris nodded and pulled out his phone.

"Chris, what are you–?" Thomas started.

"A video," Chris explained. "There aren't any superheroes here for us to hide behind, only men and women in uniform, carrying guns. It'll be hard to get them armed for something they think is a story, but if we've got a bit of truth..."

"You are actors; what truth will mortals find in film?" Loki asked, but he was already warming to the idea; they would need some proof, and all he had to offer was himself. If Chris had an idea...

"Not a film," Thomas recognised, pulling out his own phone. "Home video. It's not perfect, people will still claim it's been doctored, but there's something about badly-filmed videos that makes them more believable." He let out a quiet laugh. "I always wanted to direct a film."

"My idea; I'm directing," Chris insisted.

"Two cameras; we'll both direct."

"I'm a god," Loki snarled. " _I_ will direct."

Chris and Thomas traded vaguely horrified looks, then chorused, " _No_."

"Loki, you cause more than enough trouble on a _real_ set."

"Your films are meant as entertainment; this is a matter of your _planet_ ," Loki snapped. Then, because he couldn't resist, added, "Anyway, the only props I might misplace here appear to be mugs and a hammer I cannot pick up. Ah. And Thomas' chest of toys."

Thomas turned towards the worktop, where Loki had left the chest with his _Avengers_ figurines. "What is–? _Loki_!" He turned an irritated look on the god, who just smirked. "We'll talk later. For now–" He turned the back of his phone to face him and Loki realised the two humans had already started filming. "Hi. Tom Hiddleston."

"Chris Hemsworth," Chris said when they both turned their cameras to him.

They turned to Loki, next, and he flashed them an evil little smile. "Loki. God of Mischief and Lies. Banished Second Prince of Asgard. Etc, etc, etc."

"You forgot prop thief," Chris pointed out.

"Prop _misplacer_ , thank you," Loki returned drily. "Thomas has never let me keep one for longer than it takes him to discover I have it."

"Chris," Thomas interrupted and the blond actor flashed an apologetic grin before they both turned to Thor.

"Thor, son of Odin Allfather, First Prince of Asgard."

"So, for the viewers out there, Loki's been on Earth for a bit over thirty years now; part of a long sentence handed down by Odin," Chris said. "He's been living with Tom for the past year, and no one's seen him because he's usually invisible."

"Armguard," Thomas requested.

Loki sighed and pulled off the golden armguard. Chris' eyes unfocussed, proving the Allfather's magic was again separating Loki from mortals, and Loki waved a hand at where he'd placed the armguard on the table. "Are you taking this back?" he asked his brother.

Thor shook his head. "Father never ordered I return with it, only that I give it unto you so we might include those mortals you have made peace with."

"Lo makes headaches, not peace," Chris retorted, but the joke fell flat and Loki put the armguard back on so he could raise an eyebrow at the mortal and he'd actually see it. "Sorry?"

"Loki and Thor are from an alternate reality, where the events of _Avengers Assemble_ and those films that came before really happened," Thomas explained.

"They have created video of our lives?" Thor asked Loki.

Loki waved a hand at him. "Yes, yes. And a comic book series, which is much less accurate."

"And these two–"

"Thor, could you hold your idiocy to _yourself_ for the moment?" Loki requested.

" _Loki_ ," Thomas complained and Loki rolled his eyes.

"Apologies," Thor offered. "This is, truly, a matter of little importance. Please, continue."

Thomas blinked at the blond god, then glanced towards Loki, who raised an eyebrow at him. "Okay. Um." He shook his head. "Thanos made his bid in their original reality and apparently took out Earth, save a few humans who are working with Asgard to protect their home. Odin sent Thor here to retrieve Loki, but also to distract Thanos with our reality for a bit."

"His armies will come," Loki said flatly, looking between the two phones when they turned to him. "They will come, and they will do to this world what they did to that other. There are no heroes here, no men in suits powered by an arc reactor, or scientists that become untouchable monsters when their temper is high. There are only mortals – humans – with your machine guns and bombs capable of destroying your world before Thanos could even think to set foot on it.

"I do not know if we can make more than a dent in Thanos' army, but if I have learned one thing of your people, it is that you will try, that you will do everything to protect that which you hold dear, even when you cannot hope to survive. Do that now, for those you care most for, for your property, for yourselves. Not, as Odin would wish, for an alternate Asgard that has no hold over your realm. And, maybe, you will prove yourselves better than any of us who believe you less; perhaps you will surprise those of us who call ourselves your gods."

Thomas reached out and caught Loki's hand on the table, entwining their fingers together. Loki met his eyes, saw the approval bright within them, and looked away, heart thudding in an entirely unfamiliar way.

"Right," Chris said and they all glanced at him. "That's what we've got," he explained to the cameras. "And Tom and I, we're going to try and get the word out, but it's up to you lot to force the issue. And, yeah, some of you are gonna think, 'Oh, it's just Tom and Chris, having a laugh,' and that's fine. We can't make you think otherwise. But for us, right now, this is real. This isn't _Thor 2_ , this isn't some bit of fun that's gonna have us turning around next week and saying, 'Loki'd'."

"Loki says we have a week, maybe a month, if we're lucky," Thomas added. "It's not much time–"

"It is more than our Midgard had," Thor commented grimly. "They had but moments."

"We'll take it," Chris decided. He glanced at his phone, nodded, then touched the screen. "I should look into a flight back to Australia."

"Elsa and India," Thomas realised, a sick sort of understanding in his eyes; Chris' daughter was just over four months old and they were facing a war with the potential to wipe out all humans.

"And splitting our resources a bit," Chris agreed, eyes not looking up from the screen of his mobile.

"I can take you," Thor offered and the two mortals looked to him with surprise while Loki raised an eyebrow. "It causes me no additional difficulty, and I would offer what little assistance I might before I must return."

"I– Yeah. Yes, thank you," Chris stuttered, standing from the table and looking uncertain how to proceed. "I should– Let me pack a couple things..." Then he sort of half stumbled out of the kitchen, headed for his suitcase at the end of the couch.

Thomas slipped his own mobile away and stood. "I'm going to go help Chris," he told Loki. " _Try_ not to cause any trouble?"

"I am, as ever, on my best behaviour," Loki replied easily.

"Let's try _my_ best behaviour for today," Thomas suggested before leaving the kitchen.

Loki and Thor watched each other from across the table for a long moment before the elder prince sighed and leaned against the chair he was standing behind. "This world suits you, Brother."

Loki snorted. "These _mortals_ suit me. This world, as a whole, I could care less for."

Thor inclined his head, allowing that. "It warms me to see you so at peace, for all that my return has ended that. I had...spoken to Heimdall, some, of what befell you." Loki stiffened as Thor looked up at him, expression broken. "If I could have put end to your pain, Broth–"

"What's done is done," Loki snarled, unwilling to listen to Thor apologise for something neither of them had control over.

"Done or not, Loki–"

"What, then?" Loki interrupted, expression dark. "You would have come and, what? Odin would have allowed you no more than a year, and then I would again be alone. Perhaps you would have eased some of my loneliness, perhaps you would only have made it worse; I cannot say, and _neither can you_. It's done, past." Loki sighed and looked down at his new armguard, tracing the markings on it with his eyes. "You need to stop returning to old pains, Brother; it's a habit unsuited to a king."

Thor let out a choked sort of noise and Loki looked up, his stomach sinking to find his brother's eyes bright with tears. "What king might I be, without you as my Council?"

Loki looked back down at the armguard, swallowing against a block in his throat. "You'll certainly get into less trouble," he commented flippantly.

" _Loki_ –"

"You will manage," Loki insisted, refusing to look up, "as you have managed these past years. How long _has_ it been?" he wondered, because time passed differently between the Nine Realms, and he had little doubt it would be the same between realities.

"Not yet forty-six years," Thor replied and Loki nodded even as his brother went on to say, "I have always looked to your logic, your quick mind, Loki–"

"You listened to it rarely enough," Loki replied drily, chancing a glance up at Thor. The elder was still visibly upset, but no longer near tears.

Thor winced. "I am more the fool, then," he allowed. "And who will, now, attempt so to hold me back?"

"Norns save whoever it is," Loki muttered.

" _Loki_."

"Sif and Hogun both are wise enough," Loki announced. "It has never been just me that tries to stop you, Thor, I am simply the least likely to back down. Where you would promise to heed me, you must now heed _them_. Yet, as much as it lies to you to listen, it lies to them to speak; as they once stood so adamantly against me, they must learn to do with you, no matter what treason they might commit. Remind them of that, from me."

Thor nodded and ducked his head. "I will," he whispered. "Would you have me return with any other messages?"

Loki's lips twitched with a smile. "Tell Balder to grow a spine."

They shared a laugh over their lesser mentioned brother; Loki had taken great pleasure in teasing Balder at every opportunity, while Thor had tried his best to physically toughen the youngest Odinson up, which left them with a brother who was nearly as strong as Thor, but had a tendency to jump at his own shadow. Frigga had taken to coddling Balder as Thor and Loki outgrew her motherly attentions, which didn't help.

Loki returned his attention to his armguard as his mirth faded. "My love to Mother and Sleipnir. And Jörmungand, if he retains his life."

"He does," Thor replied gently. "He, too, has found home in Asgard for her defence."

Loki smiled, pleased to hear that his son was being given the chance to regain his lost honour. "I'm glad."

Thor shifted on his feet, then asked, "Any others?"

Loki considered that, thought of all the words he should like to bestow upon Odin, and shook his head; he wouldn't make Thor speak such hatred to his father.

Thor's shoulders fell. "I see."

"Ah, wait," Loki announced, flashing his brother a mischievous smile that brought a wary smile to Thor's lips. "I would have you remind my idiot of a brother that, should he _truly_ require my council, his niece is not so difficult to bribe."

Thor laughed. "True enough. But, Brother, what if you should reside in Valhalla?"

Loki raised both eyebrows at him. "Really? Valhalla?" He snorted. "Do you dream oft of me as such?"

"You would not be the first Jötun to walk those halls," Thor replied quietly.

Loki sighed. "It is not my species that would deny me, Brother, as well you know. Look for me in Niflhel."

"I thought Valhalla was for anyone who died in battle," Thomas said from the doorway, looking between the two gods with a faint frown.

"It is...slightly more than that," Thor admitted. "There are deeds to be weighed, much as is said to be done in the writings of your jealous god, but one must die fighting for a cause they believe to be just before they might face that weighing."

Thomas looked at Loki, his eyes speaking volumes about how truly he believed Loki would make his way into Valhalla. He chose not to vocalise his thoughts, instead announcing, "Chris is ready whenever you are, Thor."

"I understand," Thor replied, straightening from his slouch against the chair. "Brother? Will you see us off?"

Loki gave a loud sigh as he rose from his seat. "I suppose I must, lest Hemsworth hold it over my head later."

The three of them joined Chris out in the living room, then made the trip out to the street, where there would be room for Thor to take off. Chris dropped back to walk with Loki as they left the flat to ask, "Is this safe, though? I know I carried Natalie for the one scene in _Thor_ , but–"

"Don't touch Mjölnir," Loki suggested and Chris grimaced. "I would have insisted on another mode of travel if there was any true danger, Hemsworth. I don't care for Thor's method and don't care to travel it with him, but it is safe enough for even so pathetic a creature as yourself."

"It's probably a bad sign that you insulting me is what makes me feel better about this," Chris muttered and Loki snorted.

And then they were stopping at the edge of the pavement and Chris pulled Loki into a hug, which he bore with more patience than he would have before meeting Thomas. "Take care of Tom," Chris whispered and Loki nodded. "And yourself," the mortal added, pulling back to meet Loki's eyes.

Loki flashed him a smirk, promising nothing, then replied, "My best to India and Lady Elsa."

Chris nodded with a smile, then moved to give his farewells to Thomas.

Thor took Chris' place. "Brother," he murmured and made to put his hand at the back of Loki's neck, as between warriors, before suddenly changing the motion and pulling Loki into a hug.

Loki wrapped his arms around his brother and hid his face against Thor's neck, tears coming to his eyes without his say. "Brother," he whispered back and Thor's arms tightened enough to break a mortal's back. Loki's shoulder felt oddly damp and Loki resisted the urge to sigh, because of _course_ Thor would cry. "Idiot."

Thor let out a wet chuckle and drew back, wiping fingers awkwardly under his eyes to mar the glistening lines marking his cheeks. "I'll be back," he promised. "When Thanos has fallen, I will return with what assistance I might. Asgard is home to any who have nowhere else to go, no matter their previous crimes."

Loki smiled and inclined his head, understanding the last to be aimed at him. "Luck be with you in your battles, Thor Odinson," he murmured and raised his hand to rest against the back of Thor's neck. "And, should the Norns will it, we will meet again."

Thor returned the gesture. "Luck be with you, Loki Odinson," Thor intoned, hand tightening against Loki's neck before dropping away.

Thor moved out into the road, Chris following along and looking only a little nervous when the god wrapped an arm around him and raised Mjölnir up to the sky, calling on the dying storm still darkening the sky and strengthening it. Thomas came to stand next to Loki and entwined their fingers just before the flash of lightning hit the two blonds and drew them up and away. The rain, which had died off while they'd been inside, started up again and Thomas and Loki were quickly soaked.

"I'm not going to Valhalla," Loki said to his lover, heading off the discussion he was certain would come.

"One attempt of genocide–"

"Thanos will want me alive." Loki had failed Thanos, plain and simple, and the Mad Titan wasn't one to let failures go unpunished. Loki would die only after he'd been broken in so many ways that he couldn't even conceive of fighting any more, would never see Valhalla because he'd given up fighting so long before that such acts were no longer even a dream.

Thomas fell very still for a moment before he turned and pressed his face against Loki's shoulder. "Oh my God," he whispered, just loud enough for Loki to hear him over the rain. "Oh God."

Loki squeezed the hand in his. "You're going to catch a cold."

Thomas nodded and kept close to Loki as the god led the way back inside, hands still clasped tightly together. The armguard was dropped, unneeded, on the living room table as they retreated to the bedroom to change out of their wet clothing.

Loki couldn't say who distracted who with a kiss, but neither of them cared to stop and they fell into the bed together, skin chilled and more than a little damp. Thomas' mobile started singing from inside his wet trousers as the mortal pressed into the god, and they paused for a breath before they kept on, nothing more important in that moment than what they had on that bed.

As they breathed together after, the mortal a comfortable weight against Loki's chest, Thomas whispered, "I love you." Three words neither of them had actually spoken to each other before, for reasons each their own.

Loki swallowed and tightened his arms around Thomas' waist. "I love you, my Thomas," he whispered back, voice heavy with tears, and Thomas leaned up to press a kiss to the corner of Loki's left eye as a single drop fell. "When he comes, please leave? I wouldn't–" Loki drew one hand up Thomas' spine and over his shoulder to brush against his cheek. "Don't let him touch you." Because Loki could hold out against physical pain for more than long enough that Asgard's defenders had the chance to do some serious damage against Thanos' army, but knowing the Mad Titan had Thomas would destroy him.

"I won't," Thomas promised and rested his cheek against Loki's, breath mingling and hearts beating out a familiar rhythm between them.

Thomas had nearly dozed off, lulled by the calm before the storm and Loki's fingers scratching through his short hair, when the front door pushed open. "Tom?" his agent, Michael Symons, called.

Thomas groaned and rolled off Loki, waiting until they were no longer touching to call, "In the bedroom, Mikey. Give us a moment."

"Alright. Chris around?"

Thomas paused in front of his dresser for a moment before replying, "Uh, no. No, he had to– Hold on, Mikey. Loki, get up."

Loki sighed and finally sat up. "I was _comfortable_."

Thomas reached across the bed and brushed at the edge of Loki's eye, as though going after the stain of further tears. "I know," he murmured, "but we can't stay in bed. Not now."

Loki caught the mortal's hand and pressed a kiss to his knuckles. "As you say," he agreed and let Thomas pull him off the bed.

Michael was sitting on the couch when Loki and Thomas emerged from the bedroom, stress writ all over his face. He offered a sort of helpless smile and explained, "They put out the call thirty minutes ago for everyone to head for the set. Neither you nor Chris were answering your phones, so I agreed to drop by."

Thomas sighed. "We had a...visit. From Thor."

Michael glanced to Thomas' side, as though he might see Loki. "Loki's brother, Thor?"

"The same," Loki agreed as he slipped his new armguard on, smirking when the mortal jumped.

"Bloody hell," Michael breathed and reached forward like he meant to poke Loki and see if he was real.

"Desist," Loki ordered, gently knocking the hand away. "My brother didn't come with pleasant news."

Michael looked to Thomas, who nodded. "The Chitauri are on their way. Loki thinks we have a week at the least, a month at the most."

Michael dropped his head into his hands and groaned. "I don't get paid enough for this."

Loki snorted. "Take it up with the Allfather. He's the one who thought to use your planet as a distraction from Asgard."

"Great." Michael rubbed at his face and glanced up at the standing males. "What, exactly, are any of us supposed to to about this? If the Chitauri are anything like in _Avengers Assemble_ –"

"They are very like that," Loki assured him.

"Chris and I made a video, which we're both posting to the web," Thomas explained. "He's gone back to Australia to do what he can there, while I see what I can do from here. If we can get all the armed forces of the world to rally, we may have a chance."

"And if no one will listen?" Michael asked. "If everyone takes this a some giant prank?"

"Then your world will burn," Loki replied coldly, no hint of the mischief-maker most knew him as. "You will be made to watch as your fellow man is shot down while fleeing, or ripped limb-from-limb. There will be no mercy, no relief but death. You will fight, or you will suffer and die."

Michael set his expression. "And you? Are you running home? You said Thor had been by."

"Loki's staying," Thomas said quietly from Loki's side. "Odin sent Thor to bring him back to Asgard, but he refused."

"Why?"

"It is not to you to question my motives, Symons."

Thomas shook his head, warning his agent away from furthering that line of question. "I need to post this video and make some calls, get as many others who already know about Loki working with us. Mikey, could you call Alan and apologise for Chris and I?" He managed a tired smile. "I don't know how much he'll believe, but I can come by set on Monday with Loki to try and talk him around, if he's willing to wait."

Michael nodded and stood. "Anyone else on set that we should expect to leave for home in the coming days?" he asked.

"Lady Katherine, Elba, and Skarsgård have all 'met' me," Loki offered, "and Hopkins and Ladies Natalie and Jaimie are aware of me, in that they have been nearby as I was spoken of or to."

"A lot of us," Thomas clarified.

Michael sighed. "I'll let him and everyone at the office know what's going on, then," he agreed. "Keep me in the loop as much as you can, though, Tom. And call Luke before he finds out what you're up to from someone else."

Thomas grimaced at the thought of his publicist's reaction to him using his popularity to get the word out without warning him ahead of time. "I'll call him first," he promised and Loki snorted.

Michael nodded. "Good." He stopped at the door to look back at the two look-alikes in the middle of the room, Thomas looking down at his mobile as he sorted through his contacts. "Take care of yourself, Tom. And you, Loki."

Loki inclined his head. "We will be as careful as we ever are," he promised.

"Not reassuring," Michael returned before leaving them to it.

They spent the rest of the day with Thomas ringing those he knew who had 'met' Loki – or at least had been convinced that he existed – while Loki handled posting the video Thomas had made and fielding any questions. Most of the internet appeared amused by the video, commenting on how it was a lovely joke, but Loki kept on Thomas' account, firmly promising it was the truth. As others that Thomas or Chris were contacting started getting the word out themselves, those who were laughing fell silent and the uncertain **'Could it be?'** questions started picking up speed.

And then, jackpot: Someone near Thomas and Loki's flat had caught Thor and Chris' exit from the road on video and posted it on YouTube. The video caught the sudden strengthening of the storm, the lightning that had picked up the two look-alikes, and Loki and Thomas standing in the rain.

Following on that, a number of Australians spoke up to say that Chris was back in the area – Thor had apparently overshot, and Chris had been required to walk to his home – even though he'd been seen in London just before the freak storm had sent everyone running for cover.

As sudden as Thor's storms, the entire internet – or, the six sites that Loki was keeping tabs on at that moment, at least – exploded. Some people were panicking, a couple were talking about how they _knew_ the Mayans had been right, a good third were talking of visiting friends and family or seeing places they had wanted to visit before their death, a few were lamenting their lives, and then there was the calm corner, the group that asked, **'How can we help?'**

It was to the last group that Loki turned his focus as Thomas admitted some of his fellow actors and actresses from the _Thor: The Dark World_ set, the lot of them letting out surprised noises to see Loki curled up on the couch with the laptop. **'Talk to your governments,'** he told them. **'Tell them to mobilise their forces, make them listen. There will be no hope without a defence, and that defence lies in the hands of your governments.'**

"I'm not sure how I feel about the long hair," Kat Dennings said as she dropped onto the couch next to Loki.

"He's not getting it cut," Thomas said for the god as he leaned against the arm next to Loki and read over the page he was on. "I've been trying for months, but he refuses. It's going well, then?"

"Well enough," Loki replied and typed out a quick response to a stupid question before focussing his attention on his lover. "Did you require me?"

"We brought Indian food with us," Kat told him, nudging him with one foot. She blinked, then nudged him again. "Cool."

Loki sighed. "What is it with these mortals and constantly _touching me_?" he asked of Thomas as the mortal took the laptop from him.

"The novelty should wear off after a couple of days," Thomas replied, eyes already flicking across the screen, catching up with everything that Loki had been keeping up with. "Stop using my account to be a jerk, Loki."

"They listen so much better when they think it comes from you," Loki returned sweetly.

Kat laughed. "This is awesome," she told them before shoving at Loki's leg with her foot a third time. "Go get something to eat while Tom apologises to everyone."

Loki snorted – he could see Thomas typing out an apology as Kat spoke – and stood to gather some food. He was distracted along the way by a couple of the others that had come with Kat, and bore their interest in his existence for a good twenty minutes before he retreated back to the couch.

"If one more person touches me, I will remove this thing," Loki muttered of the armguard to Thomas as he took the mortal's previous position on the arm of the couch, Thomas having slid down into Loki's abandoned spot.

Thomas smiled and reached up to run his fingers through Loki's hair, his other hand moving slowly over his keyboard. Loki leaned into the touch as he munched on the food he'd brought back with him, scowling.

"You're still here," Kat pointed out. "I thought you said–"

"Thomas doesn't count," Loki snarled, turning his head and nudging Thomas' hand to signal that he should scratch an itch where his fingers were. Thomas' eyes flickered up to him, dancing with silent laughter, before he did so.

"I suppose," Kat allowed and they fell into silence for a long moment.

Thomas finally removed his hand from Loki's scalp so he could place the laptop on the ground and scoot over on the couch. "Come here."

Loki dropped into the open space, squeezed tightly between Thomas and the arm of the couch, but comfortable in spite of it. Thomas wrapped his arm around behind Loki's waist, his hand resting on Loki's thigh and held so the god could wrap his fingers around Thomas' wrist and feel his pulse, which Loki did. Thomas laid his head against Loki's shoulder and the god only now saw the lines around his eyes that spoke of the stress and fear hidden behind Thomas' constant good humour. "Go get some sleep," he murmured, half order, half suggestion.

Thomas breathed a quiet laugh. "People over."

Loki shook his head. "I will see to them; this is more wearing on you than on me."

"Be polite," Thomas ordered even as he pulled his wrist from Loki's grasp and rose from the couch.

"No promises," Loki returned and the mortal laughed as he moved towards the bedroom, waving at one of the others.

Loki did end up remaining polite, helped by the mortals leaving of their own volition within the hour.

Kat was the last to leave, hugging Loki and grinning when he huffed in irritation. "Most of us are heading back for the States tomorrow," she told him. "Tom already knows, I think, but pass it back anyway. And it was good to _actually_ meet you, Loki. Without, you know, set pieces randomly disappearing from one spot and reappearing five feet away. Which, always a laugh, but still disconcerting."

"Good _bye_ , Lady Katherine," Loki insisted and she laughed as she finally stepped through the open door, waving.

Loki closed the door behind her and sighed as he looked over the flat. The mortals had mostly cleaned up after themselves, but there was Indian food left over to be cleaned away and a couple dirty dishes. Loki was becoming quite used to cleaning up around the flat – _too_ used to it, he sometimes thought, considering he was a _god_ – so he set to it without complaint, pleased when the room was again clean. Those things Chris had left behind, he slipped into a cupboard, and then sent the mortal a quick message asking if he wanted it posted to him, or would rather it remained in London.

Everything quiet and in order, Loki slipped into the bedroom and under the covers with Thomas. The mortal let out a sleepy mumble and turned towards him, only stilling when Loki wrapped him in an embrace. "Sweet sleep," Loki whispered against the faint curl of Thomas' hair before settling in to rest himself.

-0-

They were just finishing with breakfast when Luke Windsor came by, wearing a pressed suit and looking more than a little frazzled. Loki didn't want to think about how long the mortal had been up already, especially when placed against the early hours that he and Thomas kept.

Luke sort of stopped for a moment upon spotting Loki, who smirked at him, then shook his head and looked at Thomas. "I'm being hounded for a press conference. A lot of it is people looking to find the joke, but the office and I agree that this might be the thing to bring more people around." He glanced at Loki. "The only problem is convincing them you're the real thing and not someone who just looks exactly like Tom. Can you use _any_ magic?"

Loki took off the armguard and set it on the table.

"That's about it," Thomas offered his publicist while Luke shook his head. "Well, and his usual tricks," he added just before Loki covered his hand, making Thomas vanish from Luke's sight.

"We'll just have to find a way to make it work," Luke decided, too used to the disappearing act to be thrown by it, and Loki let Thomas go and put his armguard back on with a huff. "Unless you have something more pressing," Luke continued with the air of someone who knew well Thomas and Loki's schedule was empty, "I'd like to try and fit this in this afternoon."

"The sooner the better," Thomas murmured, glancing at Loki, who nodded. "We don't have a lot of time."

"Then I'll set something up for noon. Do I need to write you a statement, or would you rather just make it up as you go?"

"Loki's not going to follow something pre-written," Thomas commented.

"Tedious," Loki agreed, picking at his nails.

Luke sighed, then pointed a stern finger at the god. "Do _not_ set anything on fire this time."

Loki smirked. "I would _never_."

"He won't," Thomas promised, rolling his eyes.

Luke looked like he wasn't sure he believed him – Loki smirking from the other side of the table didn't help – but there wasn't anything he could do about it. "I'll see to it there's a car here by half eleven to pick you two up," he promised, turning to leave. "Please stay indoors until then."

Thomas glanced past Luke, at the closed door, and nodded. "We can do that."

Luke nodded and left them.

Thomas cleaned up their dishes in silence before saying, "They're going to want to know why you've stayed."

Loki sneered. "It's not for them to know," he commented, pushing away from the table and turning towards the laptop.

Thomas caught his arm and turned him until they were facing, raising his hands to cup Loki's face. "I'm not ashamed of us," he murmured. "And anyone who would think you weak to stay for love, has never had anything worth fighting for."

Loki caught his hands in the pockets of Thomas' trousers. "I would not see them use us against one another," he admitted, knowing better than to lie to his human.

"They won't," Thomas promised, thumbs rubbing Loki's cheeks. "Do you trust me?"

"No," Loki muttered, but he did. "You will make so many of your fans most upset."

Thomas laughed and pressed a quick kiss to Loki's mouth. "You're going to enjoy that."

Loki's mouth curled with pleasure. "So I will," he agreed smugly.

Thomas' hands dropped away from Loki's face, pulling Loki's from his pockets. "Come on. Let's see what the night has wrought."

-0-

The press conference went about how they'd expected; having a mostly exact copy – save their differing hair and the insistent green of Loki's eyes vs the uncertain blue-green of Thomas' – made a lot of believers, and Loki vanishing when he removed the armguard turned most of the rest. Only a couple remained sceptical, one of whom insisted, "If you were the _real_ Loki, you'd perform _magic_."

"Are you deaf as well as dumb?" Loki had replied. "Have you missed _entirely_ that I am denied my magic?"

"Oh, I'm sure that's just a lie–" the man started, ignoring the others around him trying to hush him.

Thomas groaned and didn't even bother grabbing for the god when Loki jumped from the platform they were on and stalked purposefully down the cleared aisle between the chairs until he was standing next to the reporter. "Were I to be lying, _ant_ , you would never doubt my words," he promised before grabbing the reporter by the throat and throwing him, bodily, against the far wall, some eight metres away. Then he returned to Thomas' side, reporters flinching away from him as he passed them.

Thomas gave him a tired look. "Was that necessary?"

Loki shrugged, his irritation drained from his bearing. "I was only told not to set anything on fire."

Thomas sighed, but didn't bother telling Loki off further, instead looking for more questions, which were slow in coming, everyone far more wary of the god after his show of strength.

When the question about why Loki had remained finally came, it was from a mousy-looking woman in the front, her hands shaking as she asked it, as though half afraid she, too, would meet a wall.

"I have something to protect," Loki replied shortly. Then, after a beat, his lips curled with a smirk that made everyone in the front row tense, and he grabbed Thomas' chin, pressing his mouth tight to the human's. Thomas kissed him back without hesitation, one hand threading through Loki's hair in a familiar motion, and Loki felt himself relax in spite of their audience.

There was a stunned silence as they pulled apart, Thomas smiling at Loki with a gleam of amusement and approval in his eyes. Then everyone started talking at once, asking everything they could think of about their relationship. Loki left Thomas to those demands, his fingers curling around the mortal's wrist to soothe his temper at the prying.

By the time Luke ushered them away from the cameras, Thomas looked more than a little strained, though he smiled for Luke and those waiting for them away from the reporters. "New rule," the publicist said tiredly, "no throwing people."

"Noted," Loki replied drily and pulled off his armguard. "Please see this returned to our flat?" he requested of Luke.

Luke frowned and took the armguard, looking to Thomas as Loki vanished. "Certainly. But why can't you–?" He fell silent as Thomas, too, vanished. "Oh," he murmured to the empty space and smiled.

Loki smiled to himself, certain Luke understood his intentions, and drew Thomas from the room and through the waiting crowds. Thomas made no complaint at ducking further questions, just tightened his hand against Loki's when they moved through the crowd, people parting unconsciously before them.

Back at their flat, Thomas pulled Loki into a kiss, whispering, "Thank you," against the god's lips.

"Would that I could send you away from this," Loki murmured, brushing his fingers over the stress lines deep on Thomas' forehead.

Thomas huffed a laugh. "And leave you to kill people for being too stupid to bother saving?" he teased and Loki smirked. Thomas' smile gentled. "I would rather be here, where I can do as much as I can to help, then hidden away with a cuppa, unbothered."

"I know," Loki agreed and kissed the human. "Let us see what we may, then," he suggested, nodding towards the laptop.

-0-

It was Jeremy Renner who came up with the idea, during a Skype conversation between himself, Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson, and Loki and Thomas: _"If Loki's going to be dressing up, why don't we all?"_

 _"What, you want me to wear my pyjamas?"_ Mark joked. _" **That'll** strike fear into the hearts of the Chitauri."_

 _"Don't be an ass,"_ Jeremy returned.

 _"Behave, boys,"_ Scarlett ordered, rolling her eyes. _"Loki, would they even **notice** if there are Avengers here?"_

Loki shrugged. "I could not say. That they would recognise the significance of the costumes, certainly. But as to their reaction, I might only make assumption."

 _"Well, I'm already an ass–"_ Mark joked.

 _"Cute,"_ Jeremy said.

_"–so, really. Assume. Let's go for it."_

Loki glanced over at where Thomas was making dinner, paying attention, but not offering much in the way of comment while he worked. The human had been the one to open the chat when Mark had sent the invite, and Loki had only taken over when Thomas had insisted he needed to make them something to eat.

"They would very likely focus their fire on you," Loki told the humans on the other side of the screen. "You would clear the way for those with true weapons, yes, but it would mean a certain death."

 _"What about movie screens?"_ Scarlett asked.

 _"Movie screens? What, are you planning to give out popcorn and hope they'll enjoy a bit of late-night enjoyment between murdering everyone in sight?"_ Jeremy replied.

Scarlett sighed. _"Remind me to punch you in the face tomorrow,"_ she said and Jeremy grinned while Mark laughed. _"No, idiot. I mean could the Chitauri tell the difference between images of us on a movie screen, and the real things? Could we draw their fire without putting ourselves in danger?"_

"For but a moment, perhaps," Loki allowed. "They are akin to a hive mind, in that they communicate as such, so it will quickly become apparent to them that they fight false images. You might have as much as ten minutes of their distraction to lessen their numbers before they'll turn on a truer threat."

 _"Well, it's worth a try, I suppose?"_ Jeremy said when Scarlett slumped slightly.

"It's not a bad idea," Thomas said, coming over to stand behind Loki, his hands kneading the god's shoulders. "In fact, why not use the film screens, then bring out the people in costume? It might confuse them enough to get a few more rounds in before they turn on the supposed Avengers. And as soon as they do, you lot get the hell out of there and leave it to the men and women in uniform."

 _" 'You lot'? Are you not going to help, Tom?"_ Mark asked.

Thomas shook his head. "I made a promise to stay out of sight. You'll have a Loki, though. And one that can actually take a couple hits from those weapons. Right?" He smiled at Loki.

"It will add credence to your falsities were I to appear as you did," Loki allowed. "I would remain in sight while you fled, and my truth would seem as your truth."

 _"How many hits from those weapons can you take, though?"_ Scarlett asked, brow furrowed with concern.

"Plenty enough for this," Loki promised. "I retain my near immortality, for all that I am, otherwise, of little use."

"Stop it," Thomas ordered as Mark and Scarlett chorused, _"You're not of 'little use'."_

 _"I thought you were a god, crazy kid,"_ Jeremy tossed out. _"A particularly smarmy ass of a god. You're kinda pathetic right now."_

Loki rolled his eyes. "Thor would insult me better."

_"Thor's not here; make do with me. Hey, you and Tom got the word out, you're the one who knows most about these bastards, you're the one who decided to stay. You're kinda far from useless."_

_"We come up with the ideas, you tell us if they'll work,"_ Mark added as Jeremy fell silent. _"We want you for your brain, not your magic."_

 _"Zombie,"_ Jeremy threw out.

 _"Please, dear God, grow up already,"_ Scarlett muttered and the three male humans laughed.

Loki looked between the images on the screen, feeling rather like the green creature in that children's book, the one whose heart grew however many sizes larger and delivered all the presents he'd stolen. He pulled off his armguard and ducked away from the laptop and Thomas' hands.

"We've embarrassed him," Thomas commented to his fellows, all of whom laughed.

 _"We'll leave him to you,"_ Mark promised. _"I need to get some lunch, though, so I'm going to scram."_

 _"Ooh, lunch. I'm up for some Chili's. In your honour, Tom,"_ Jeremy said.

"I'm with Scarlett; grow up."

 _"Let us know if Loki comes up with anything else,"_ Scarlett said, laughter in her voice. _"We'll let the others know. Have you got Chris H?"_

"Yeah, I'll talk to him. Or Loki will," Thomas agreed. "Night, everyone."

 _"Afternoon,"_ Jeremy corrected and Thomas signed out of Skype before they could hear more than Scarlett taking a breath to snark at him.

Thomas made a stop in the kitchen to check on their dinner, then came over to where Loki had stretched out on the couch. "Hey," the mortal said, brushing his fingers through Loki's hair.

"I am used to being of greater use," Loki murmured.

"We're all actors, what do we know of use in time of war?" Thomas returned and Loki snorted. "Everyone plays their part, Loki, and maybe it's not all you're used to, but it'll be enough. It's already more than most people thought you capable of." He swallowed, eyes bright with pain. "They don't know the half of it."

Loki drew Thomas' head down to rest against his chest, his fingers soothing through the human's hair. "I am sorry," he murmured.

Thomas closed his eyes, one hand reaching out to thread his fingers with Loki's. "I know," he whispered.

They stayed like that until the timer in the kitchen called them to eat, and they spoke no further of Loki's intended sacrifice.

-0-

The general consensus was that Jeremy's crazy plan, with Scarlett's modifications, was a good one. Suits for superheroes – Marvel and D.C. alike, to double their number and because, why not? – came out of storage and were sent to actors and their stunt doubles. Loki knew the Chitauri would focus on areas of high population, so those supposed heroes spread out across large cities, while soldiers replaced civilians, sending those with no thought to fight out into the countryside. The film projectors and screens were put into place by the soldiers, everyone happy to have something to do that didn't involve thinking of the war they were about to face.

Thomas and Loki stayed in London, the only two 'heroes' originally in that area. Loki had tried to order Thomas to evacuate with the civilians, but he didn't try as hard as he perhaps should have, and Thomas wouldn't hear of it: "I'll hide in the Underground once the fighting starts, but I'm not going to leave you alone until they come through. Not knowing I'll never see you again, not knowing what you'll face. I would rather chance a hundred deaths than leave you to face this alone."

They ended up having just over two weeks from Thor's visit before portals the violent yellow of torn reality opened over the soldier-occupied cities and the Chitauri came through.

"Hide," Loki ordered as Thomas finished helping him into the costume-armour he would wear. It had none of the protections his own clothing would have afforded him, but it was the show that mattered, more than the protection.

"I love you," Thomas whispered, voice breaking.

"And I you," Loki replied, pulling the human in for a gentle kiss. "Please, Thomas."

"I know." And he fled to the nearest Tube access, aiming for the comfortable hovel they had spent a few days making down there.

Loki found himself a place to wait, where he would easily be seen once he wished to show himself, and waited for the Chitauri to realise the images of the Avengers on the many screens were false. Below him, around him, above him, gunfire rained from soldiers hidden throughout the city, nestled in office buildings and flats alike. The Chitauri fell in droves, seeing only the false Avengers.

And then their attention moved from the screens, and a couple of buildings exploded.

Loki turned off the master control for the screens and stepped out to the rooftop he'd chosen. To his luck, a Chitauri had fallen nearby and he picked up an energy weapon that had landed just on the edge of the roof. It was a simple weapon, but he knew well how to use it, and did so to draw attention to himself.

And, oh, the attention turned.

He took down three of their small craft before they managed to hit him once, twice, and then he was off, dodging energy blasts while his costume smelled of burnt fabric and he cackled because it was _fun_. Because he'd forgotten how much he enjoyed drawing attention, causing chaos and confusion for his enemies.

And still they fell, dropped by hidden soldiers with bullets aplenty and everything to lose.

Loki took plenty more hits, his costume fluttering uselessly in the breeze, before the Chitauri managed to corner him on a roof that was just a little too low for him to jump to the next.

"Loki Silvertongue," three of them hissed in eerie tandem. "The Traitor."

"Oh, I do like that title," Loki said, grinning like a man insane. And then he jumped at one of the crafts, using his now-useless energy weapon – it had run out of power about seven roofs ago – to knock off the passenger, then drew a knife to slit the throat of the pilot. The craft wobbled for a moment before he took the controls, and then he was off, up into the sky and laughing as they all shot up after him, yelling curses and threats for his traitorous ways.

The pilot's controls didn't have access to a weapon, but Loki wasn't looking to take out the small crafts; he aimed for one of the Leviathans and jumped off just before his craft struck one of the few weak spots the large transports had. The explosion caught him up and he slammed harder than he'd expected against the roof of a building. He lay there for a long moment, gritting his teeth against the pain.

" _Traitor_!" a Chitauri screamed as a small craft landed and both pilot and passenger jumped off to approach him.

Loki bared his teeth in a parody of a grin and forced himself to sit up, at least. "Please," he scoffed. "Like so worthless a creature as yourselves could ever think to harm a _god_."

A door slammed open behind Loki and gunfire rang out. The two Chitauri dropped without a sound.

"Hey, can you stand?" a female voice asked, and Loki looked up to find a uniformed human woman standing at his side, her gun held steady against further Chitauri.

"Yes," Loki grunted and shoved himself to his feet. He listed warningly to one side, but the human grabbed his elbow and steadied him.

"No offence, but you look like shit."

Loki considered what was left of his costume – barely enough to allow him modesty, and that was only because the Chitauri had been more interested in hitting 'above the belt', as the humans would put it. "I have been worse," he told the woman.

"I am worryingly willing to believe that," she commented and tugged him back by the elbow. "We've got a bit of soup, if you're looking for a down moment. They certainly seem to be."

Indeed, the Chitauri attacks had lessened, the two Leviathans and maybe a dozen score of smaller crafts pulling away to just outside the firing range. "They'll be communicating with the hive mind, debating further attempts, reporting my existence," he allowed. "We will have some twenty minutes, likely."

"Good. Let's get you some soup. And a new jacket."

Loki nodded. "A moment." He collected the two energy weapons that had fallen from the craft, then joined the woman and her partner, who had remained by the door, in returning to their hovel two floors below them. The soup was good, helped strengthen him against an encroaching exhaustion, and the jacket he was offered was of a much better make than the costume he'd taken to appear more as the Chitauri would expect.

"Any word from outside London?" he asked upon seeing their radio set-up.

"All the blighters seem to have pulled back," the man crouched over the radio reported. "We've lost our fair share, but we're making a dent against what we can hit. Not the big things."

"Leviathans," Loki commented absently, considering their arsenal. "These, what do you call them?"

"Bazookas?" the woman who had collected Loki offered.

Loki raised an eyebrow at the name, then shrugged. "Yes. How difficult would it be to aim one at a target that is, perhaps, no greater than a metre in width?"

"I couldn't do it, but Russ can," she said, nodding at the man who had held the door on the roof.

"You have writing implements? I would show you some targets, some weaknesses of the Leviathans."

The man – Russ – dove for a pack and dragged out paper and a handful of pens. "Been writing to my girl," he said to his two fellows' raised eyebrows.

Loki ignored them and set about making a quick sketch for the man. When he was done, he passed it back with the two pens of differing colours. "The points in blue would be your targets. You might also attempt aiming your 'bazooka' into the mouth of a Leviathan, but I am uncertain of the effectiveness."

"And if you've got a clear shot at the mouth, you're probably better off running before the damn thing takes out the building, anyway," the man at the radio said.

Russ nodded and waved for the headset draped around the radio man's neck. "Here, put out the call: I've got targets on the big boys."

Loki stood as the two men sorted their directions for the other troops, picking up his two energy weapons as he went.

"Leaving already?" the woman called.

Loki shrugged. "I do you no favours by being in your company. I thank you for the soup, and wish you well."

"Yeah. Well, good luck," she called after him and Loki nodded before starting back up the stairs to the roof.

There, he used a bit of cabling to attach the energy weapons to his back, then hopped onto the craft left sitting to one side; he had Chitauri to irritate.

-0-

They managed to mostly wipe out the last of their Chitauri within another hour, and Loki set back down on the roof of the same group he'd rested with before, another couple stolen energy weapons strapped to his back to replace those that had lost power, and having gone through three crafts since, two crashing when they were hit, one used to take out the last Leviathan.

"News is pretty good," the woman said as she came out to meet him where he was crouched over his craft, trying to fix some battle damage so it would stop listing to the right. "I dare say they didn't expect us to fight back quite so hard."

"They did not," Loki agreed. "They will know to do so when the next wave arrives."

The woman paled. "Next wave?"

Loki glanced up at her. "I do you no favours to lighten this truth: They will come and come until either they have lost at the other end, or your world is ash. This will be no easy-won war."

The woman ran a hand down her face and dropped to sit next to him, holding out a bowl of soup. "Fuck. Someone forgot to mention that part to us."

"That was not my doing," Loki informed her, taking the bowl. "My thanks."

"Yeah." She sighed, then took a moment to look him over. "You look like you could use a couple days' rest."

Loki glanced up at the dim portal high above them, just visible against the dying sunlight. "I should only be so lucky," he murmured.

The woman followed his gaze. "How long, do you think? Before more come?"

"Hours," Loki said with certainty, because he knew the limitations of this magic, knew how Thanos thought.

She sighed again and stood. "Great. Well, I'm heading back down to warn everyone. Try and catch some rest, okay?"

"Perhaps," Loki replied and returned to his soup.

They had four hours before the portal lit again, and darkness had well-fallen by then. City lights had been turned on, keeping the city almost as bright as during the day and allowing the humans to continue to chose their targets from a distance. Loki had managed some two hours rest, and he felt better for it as he hopped onto his craft and took to the sky to meet the incoming, aiming to take out a Leviathan first thing.

It was another hard-fought battle, and these Chitauri was more cautious, had already learned the follies of their brothers that had fallen but hours ago.

It was nearing the end of this battle, Loki again cornered on a rooftop without a chance to run on, and the Chitauri too wise after four such attempted cornerings to bring their craft in close enough for him to steal, when reality shifted directly behind him.

Loki didn't stop to think, just spun and fired the last blast in his energy weapon. It dissipated harmlessly against Thanos' armour and the Mad Titan wrapped his hand around Loki's throat, holding him up high enough that his feet hung uselessly above the ground. "My little traitor. So weak, so without bite." He laughed.

Loki smirked. "Oh, I'd say I've plenty of bite. And any lack is well made up for by these mortals."

"Yes," Thanos agreed. "You have brought forth quite the play. I should enjoy destroying every. Last. One."

And then, to Loki's horror, a scream of gut-wrenching _pain_ came from all around them, cried in hundreds of voices.

"A taste, my traitor, of your pleasures to come," Thanos promised.

And then Loki felt it, like fire in his veins, and he ground his teeth to keep from making a sound, to deny Thanos that pleasure for so long as he could.

And then the pain stopped, and Loki couldn't be relieved, because Thanos didn't just _stop_ pain, not without reason. He struggled to focus on the words being traded between the Mad Titan and one of his drones.

"–ring him," Thanos said. None of the Chitauri around them moved, but they didn't need to, could just send the order down the line to another Chitauri who was in a better position. Thanos smiled nastily at Loki. "It seems we have found a rat hidden away below the ground," he said.

Loki's heart stuttered, and he knew, _Thomas. No, Norns, **no**!_

And it _was_ Thomas who was lead in, face bloodied and bruised, but shoving back against the Chitauri when they pushed him forward, so full of spirit. And then he recognised Thanos and froze, eyes wide with horror.

"A rat with your face, little god. Such chance."

Loki scoffed. "Chance? Likely he wished only to emulate me, as he _should_." He bared his teeth in a smile. "I am a _god_."

"You are little," Thanos returned. "And unworthy of my time. This mortal, however... Yes, I should like a pet." He dropped Loki and he crumpled to the ground, his legs too weak to hold him.

"I'm no one's _pet_ , Thanos," Thomas snapped, so afraid. His eyes darted to Loki, concern and apology bright in them.

_No. No, no, no, nononono!_

"You are as I say you are," Thanos replied and wrapped his hands around Thomas' neck.

And then Thomas started to scream.

Loki jerked as if he'd been struck, then surged to his feet and ran towards Thanos and Thomas, didn't know how he would do it, just needed to stop the Mad Titan hurting his lover; Loki would die a thousand deaths at Thanos' hand before he'd let anyone hurt Thomas. _Anyone_.

There, the glimmer of the spell. Loki reached out and he _tore_ it, pulled it apart with his bare hands with but a thought, and Thomas stopped screaming, was sobbing through tears and Thanos still held him, but he wasn't hurting any more.

Thanos turned to Loki, surprise flitting over his hard features, and Loki took that chance, that unexpected moment, and pulled Thomas away.

Thomas crumpled into his arms, burying his face against Loki's throat and gripping tight to the borrowed jacket. Loki wrapped his arms around the human, one hand held tight against the rapid pulse in Thomas' neck, needing the comfort as he turned a silent challenge on Thanos.

Thanos was smiling. "So, the traitor shows his strengths at last."

 _Strengths?_ Loki wondered even as he eyed the Chitauri, who were approaching him and Thomas with clear intention in separating them. And Loki thought, _If only I had my magic, I could get Thomas to safety!_

A familiar burn lit his veins, and Loki thought, for a moment, that Thanos had cast his spell of pain again, but then he recognised the gleam of green magic held tight against his skin and he allowed himself no time for surprise as he wrapped a teleportation spell around the human, sending him to those mortals Loki had taken soup with and – hopefully – safety.

Thanos didn't stop smiling. "Find him," he ordered the Chitauri and those few crafts still hovering nearby turned away.

Loki twisted his fingers in a familiar pattern and the crafts exploded, green smoke following them to the streets below. Ice – blue, laced with green – crept out across the roof and caught the Chitauri around him. It would have caught Thanos, too, had the Mad Titan not blasted it away.

Thanos wasn't smiling any more.

Loki conjured knives and leapt at his remaining opponent. He knew he could never take Thanos, but perhaps he could leave a dent, could distract him from Thomas and Asgard. Thor would come – he _had_ to believe that – and if Thanos was focussing on him, he wasn't casting pain on the humans, might forget about Thomas just long enough.

Loki had never, truly, fought Thanos before. The Mad Titan knew many of his tricks, had torn them from Loki's mind after his fall through the Void had weakened him to little more than a shadow of himself, but it was one thing to _know_ Loki's tricks, and another entirely to be faced with them. Especially when his tricks were fuelled by desperation, by a need to protect the only person in his long life that had made Loki want to give _everything_ to see safe.

And Loki's magic – held apart for thirty years, healed from the strain of his attempt on another Midgard – was the strongest it had ever been, casting illusions and bringing ice creeping with barely a hint of drain. Thanos was come from a long war, had thought this would be an easy conquest, only coming because Loki was here, and there was exhaustion writ in his slow return of Loki's attacks, the bloom of blood from one of Loki's knives dashing across his cheek.

Loki was living an impossibility, and wasn't sure he dared to hope.

And then, like a boon from the Norns, the pale portal above their heads died away. Whatever power source Thanos had been using to power it on the other side had been destroyed, and that meant Asgard had won.

Loki flashed Thanos a grin full of violence and teeth. "It is a hard-won lesson that one must never turn their back to Thor Odinson in battle."

Thanos let out a roar of rage and motioned a wave of violent magic at Loki. It caught him up, threw him across the street and through the outer wall of the building there.

Loki didn't give himself a chance to feel the rough landing, ran to the hole from his body and watched as a personal portal swallowed Thanos. He took a breath, then teleported to the hovel he'd sent Thomas to, stumbling to his knees as he appeared.

" _Loki_ ," a familiar voice breathed and Loki relaxed into Thomas' hug as the human wrapped his arms around him. "Thank God."

Loki pressed his hand over Thomas' heart, soothed by the steady thrum of life, the promise that his human was _alive_. They'd both survived Thanos, and Loki still wasn't completely sure how.

"Sorry to interrupt," the woman soldier offered, sounding truly sorry, "but we've got a lot of people asking what's happened out there, and you're the only one with answers, Loki."

Loki nodded and pulled back enough that he could see the man crouched next to the radio. "The portals have closed, and that means whatever source Thanos was using to power them has been disrupted. Most likely, the Asgardian army has taken his fortifications. He has returned to see to it."

The human relayed that, was quiet for a long moment, then asked, "Are we expecting them back?"

Loki shook his head. "I cannot say. I believe not, but as I am unaware of how, exactly, events progress in that other reality, I cannot say for certain that this battle has been won. It may be possible for Thanos to destroy Asgard still, and then he will return."

"But your gut?" the woman asked.

"I believe this is true victory, for all of us," Loki allowed and Thomas breathed a laugh against his throat.

"Either way, it's going to take them another week or two to get back here," Russ called from the window, watching with his gun for further Chitauri left on this side of the portal. "We've got time to see to our wounded and search for survivors under the fallen buildings."

"I would assist," Loki offered, gently trying to extract himself from Thomas' hold, which was proving most difficult.

"Why don't you catch a couple hours sleep?" the woman suggested. "We can't do much rescue while it's this dark, anyway, and you've been hopping around out there constantly while the rest of us have been trading off guns."

Loki felt energised, his magic jumping against his skin, but he knew he was tired, knew the magic's energy was not his own, no matter how it felt, and that if he didn't rest now, that energy would likely fail at a crucial moment. And he had need to be with Thomas, to reassure them both that they yet lived. "As you say," he agreed and stopped trying to free himself from his human.

"Show them to a bed, Janie," Russ ordered.

The woman nodded her understanding and came over to stand beside Loki and Thomas as the god got them both to their feet, Thomas still clutching at him like he was afraid Loki would vanish if he let go. They were led out of the main room and down the long hall to a closed door. Janie pushed it open and it was only now that Loki realised that this building was a hotel.

"There's always someone with the radio, so you know where to find us if you need anything," Janie offered. "I'll come get you for breakfast if you haven't already come out by then."

"My thanks," Loki offered as Thomas murmured, "Thank you."

"Get some rest, gentlemen," Janie suggested and left them to their business.

Loki closed their room door and manoeuvred them into the bathroom, flipping the light on as he passed the switch. Under those bright lights, he finally managed to free himself enough from his lover to look the mortal over. Thomas had a cut above his left eye that had mostly scabbed over, but was the origin of the blood spotting his face, and there were rips in his clothing showing bruises and more small cuts. He was also shaking ever so slightly, and Loki realised that Thomas wasn't the only mortal he'd seen doing so, though he hadn't really noted it in the three soldiers previously. _The pain magic,_ he recognised and spared a moment's curse for the Mad Titan.

Loki had magic now, and his fingers sparked green as he brushed them over the cuts and bruises on Thomas' face. They faded away on contact, and Loki sent more magic to heal what he couldn't see so clearly, including the tremors of remembered pain. And if tendrils of his magic left to seek out other mortals in the city and soothe their remembered pain, well, Loki wasn't going to stop it.

Thomas caught Loki's hand and threaded his fingers through the god's. "You have your magic back," he murmured.

"Yes."

"How?"

Loki glanced down at their entwined fingers, eyes tracing over the familiar sheen of magic against his skin. "I am...uncertain. I recall Odin speaking something of losing my magic until I had learned my duties to the other realms, but I cannot begin to understand what action would have fulfilled that."

"You've done so many, of late," Thomas agreed, a hint of humour in his eyes.

Loki sniffed. "Of course. If is within my power to see less harm done to my worshipers–"

Thomas burst out laughing. And he kept laughing until he was crying and curled tight in Loki's arms, face buried against the god's neck.

"Let's get to bed," Loki suggested quietly against Thomas' hair.

"Yeah," Thomas whispered.

They stumbled to the bed and curled up together under the covers, hands pressed tight over beating hearts to reassure them both that the other was still alive and safe at their side.

-0-

The cleanup was tedious and no simple task. Civilians that had escaped to nearby cities, just outside the area where evacuation had been ordered, came hurrying back in to help, and things went smoother with the extra hands. Loki, too, was an enormous help, able to teleport into the wreckage and pull out those trapped, allowing less care to be taken in the cleanup. With Thomas, he moved from city to city, checking in on those mortals Thomas claimed friendship with and helping where they could.

By the grace of the Norns, there were fewer dead than initial reports had suggested. Keeping out of sight had kept the Chitauri from picking out targets to focus on, and most of those trapped in fallen buildings had survived with little worse than broken bones or a concussion. Of the actors and stunt doubles left in the cities, Thomas had ended up with the worst wounds, and since he'd suffered little more than cuts and bruises – and the pain magic, which hadn't reached past the London limits, to Loki's relief – that wasn't saying much.

"We were lucky," Thomas commented as they took a short break with Chris and Elsa in Australia. Loki had India in his lap and was delighting her with dancing motes of magic.

"We had the element of surprise," Chris said quietly. "If they come back, I doubt we'll be so lucky."

"Technically, you had human tactics on your side," Loki commented drily, not looking up from India's bright eyes. "There are not many species in the Nine Realms that would think to hide in and attack from their own homes to repel such an attack. The Æsir would think such tactics cowardly, and many others would agree."

"We would all be dead, had we fought like Æsir," Thomas commented.

"So you would."

"Æsir are stronger, though, can take the physical damage in ways that we can't," Elsa said. "If we had the same invulnerability that you do, we might have been more inclined to face the Chitauri head on."

Loki glanced up, then, smiling sadly. "I would not have suggested it. Had you not opened the war with deceit, the Chitauri would have certainly ended it with such, at Thanos' direction. Had those battles raged but another hour, I would not be so well."

"If your magic hadn't returned, you'd be a mess," Thomas returned with a hint of anger in his voice. "You _were_ a mess."

It wasn't the first time that Thomas had called Loki out on his careless actions during the battle, and were the anger not driven so by fear, Loki might have snapped back. But he recognised the truth behind his lover's words and looked back to India, catching one hand with Thomas' and smiling when the human threaded their fingers together.

"Will it work a second time?" Chris asked. When Loki raised an eyebrow at him, he clarified, "The shooting from windows. In case they come back."

"It should. They understand the tactic, but it is unlikely that they have discovered a way to counteract it, beyond bringing down buildings. You might change positions, pick new rooms or buildings to fire from so they don't come in with set targets."

"It shouldn't be hard to manage," Chris decided. "Our military leader asked me," he explained to Thomas' curious look. "I guess they're having trouble pinning you two down long enough to get a straight answer."

"We've been moving around a lot," Thomas admitted.

"When are you returning to London?" Elsa wondered as India started to fuss. Loki handed her back to her mother and Elsa smiled gratefully at him.

"Tonight, actually," Thomas answered. "Most of what Loki can help with has been seen to by human means, and we'd like to be back before more Chitauri come through. Assuming they're coming back."

"What if it's Thor?" Chris asked. "Where would he come out?"

"He knew me to be in London; I believe that is where he will appear if it is he who comes," Loki said.

"So, back to London either way," Chris said and Thomas grinned while Loki and Elsa rolled their eyes. "Are we feeding you before you flee to the other hemisphere?"

"If it's not too much trouble," Thomas agreed.

"Only if it is Lady Elsa's doing," Loki added and Thomas elbowed him.

"My cooking isn't _that_ bad," Chris insisted.

"Nor is mine," Loki returned. "But I would not wish to sully the good name of my home by gifting it to guests." And he smiled.

"How _do_ you put up with him?" Chris ask Thomas while Elsa made her way back indoors after passing India to her father.

"Point him at other targets."

Loki and Chris laughed.

-0-

"Portal," Russ called from his position in the window, watching the sky. Thomas, Loki, Janie, the man who usually sat at the radio, and four other soldiers that resided in the same building and covered windows on lower floors all looked up from the board game most of them were playing. (Loki was not, but only because they all insisted he cheated. Which he did.)

Loki rose and stepped over to the window, Thomas and Janie following him while the others moved to their positions. The yellow light gleaming in the darkening sky was duller than it had been in the past. "It's Thor," Loki breathed, relief loosening a fear in his chest; he'd no interest in further battle with the Chitauri and Thanos.

"No other portals reported," the man at the radio reported, reaffirming Loki's announcement.

"Stand down, kids," Russ said into his hand radio, which connected to the other base camps in London. "Friends coming through."

"I'm coming with you," Thomas insisted to Loki before he could teleport to the roof nearest where the Asgardian war party was emerging.

Loki frowned, but nodded, trusting that he could keep the human safe if any violence was started. "Very well."

"Let us know the basics," Janie requested, passing Thomas a hand radio.

"We will," Thomas promised.

Loki took Thomas' hand, then wrapped them in teleportation magic.

There was a pause amongst the Asgardians as they appeared beneath them, the flare of magic giving their position away. And then a familiar voice boomed out, " _Brother_!" and Thor landed, hard, before them. He pulled Loki into a hug as other Æsir landed on the roof around them, many eyeing the disgraced prince with disapproval, while others looked over the damaged city or blinked uncertainly at Thomas.

"Thor," Loki replied, rolling his eyes. When Thor finally let him go, Loki took a quick step back so he was in range to entwine his fingers with Thomas' again – they'd been separated when Thor dragged him into a hug – then commented, "I take it Thanos has been defeated?"

Thor nodded, grin wide. "Indeed. It was surprisingly simple; even Father agreed." His expression softened. "You have your magic returned, I see."

Loki shrugged, as though it was of little importance. "It was a surprise to all."

Thor looked to Thomas at Loki's shoulder, and the human smiled and shook his head. "He earned it more than you can guess," he said, and Loki snorted.

Thor's grin widened again. "I had nary a doubt." His expression shifted again, more serious now, and he asked, "And this Midgard? How did you fare?"

"Very well," Thomas said, speaking when Loki made no show of doing so, too interested in glaring around at the surrounding Æsir. "There are nearly three times more Chitauri dead than humans. Loki, stop it."

All the Æsir seemed surprised at the numbers. "Your doing, Brother?" Thor requested.

Loki snorted. "My part was little."

"Surprise, surprise," an Æsir muttered.

"That is _enough_ , Fandral," Thor ordered.

Thomas startled at Loki's side, and he knew the human had only just recognised the warrior. Thomas' eyes trailed over the others in the circle and Loki knew he would be spotting those he recognised from working with their mortal mirrors.

"We are friends here," Thor added, looking over his warriors with a heavy frown. The warriors ducked their heads, shamed.

"We wouldn't have managed as well without Loki," Thomas said into the silence. "He's what made the governments willing to believe in the danger, and he was the one who gave the soldiers the spots to aim on the Leviathans to bring them down. And I can't speak for the other cities that were attacked, but I know seeing him fighting the Chitauri gave those in London the courage to keep on, even when they were growing tired; apparently, it's quite hard to lay down your gun for a five minute rest when there's a mad god cackling as he goes flying past your position on a Chitauri craft, a dozen more flying behind him and failing to land a hit on him."

Loki, too, had heard that story, and his lips curled with amusement.

Thor stepped forward and clasped his hand to the back of Loki's neck. "You have done yourself proud, Brother," he murmured. "You have done _me_ proud, as I knew you would."

Loki snorted and looked away to cover the block in his throat at Thor's words.

Thor's hand tightened against Loki's neck before falling away. He turned to Thomas to ask, "Have you any need of Asgard, then?"

Thomas shook his head. "We should be able to manage fine on our own," he promised. "Though, we're grateful for you dropping by, if only to let us know that Thanos won't be coming back."

"I could little think to leave you unknowing when it was I who led this danger to you. And, should you have needed it, we would have been glad to lend our aid."

"I know. Thank you."

Thor inclined his head and looked back to Loki. "Brother," he started, uncertain, and his eyes flickered to Thomas before again meeting Loki's gaze, which had narrowed. "Father has agreed to end your banishment, had your magic returned of its own accord."

"I'm staying," Loki said, not even bothering to consider the option. He would _not_ leave Thomas, not until the Norns willed it through Thomas' death.

Thor swallowed. "Father was weakened in this battle and has need to recover himself in Odinsleep. I would have you as my Council."

"Tho–" Sif started, and Hogun hushed her.

Loki glanced at the two, then looked back at Thor, one eyebrow raised. "We've spoken of this already; you don't need me if you will _listen_."

"As I try, but your words have always rung most true–"

"There are many who would say otherwise."

"Most clearly, then," Thor amended. "You have oft said I am slow to learn; would you lend no hand in seeing to this lesson?"

"No."

"Loki, it's fine–" Thomas started.

" _No_ ," Loki snarled and Thomas flinched. Loki squeezed the human's hand in apology and gentled his tone to insist, "I will stay here."

Thor's gaze flickered again to Thomas and he offered, "Tom Hiddleston could come with."

Thomas twitched in surprise. "What?"

"For what purpose?" Loki enquired. "He has a home still, is no refugee. You know the laws concerning mortals." He squeezed Thomas' hand again.

"As your husband, Brother," Thor said, quiet but firm, and a couple of the Æsir around them let out sounds of surprise, clearly having missed the small signs of attachment, such as the way Loki and Thomas had yet to loosen their hold on each other since Loki had regained it after Thor's greeting.

"Father would never allow it," Loki snapped. And then he realised what he'd just said and opened his mouth to correct his title for the Allfather, but Thor spoke first.

"Father will already be asleep when we return; I am king, and I see no wrong in your binding to a human. This human, most assuredly."

Loki shook his head. "This is not simply my decision; I would speak with Thomas."

Thor inclined his head. "As you will."

Loki wrapped teleportation magic around them and took them to a roof out of range of the hearing of the Æsir. There, he slipped his hand from Thomas' and cupped the human's face.

Thomas' hands came to rest on Loki's. "What is it? You know I wouldn't refuse; I love you, Loki."

Loki closed his eyes and leaned forward to rest his forehead against Thomas'. Yes, he knew the human loved him, but marriage was hardly something they'd spoken of, not with a war hanging over their heads. "It is...complicated."

"These things always are with Asgard," Thomas replied drily.

Loki couldn't help but smile at that, and he pulled back enough to meet Thomas' gaze. "There are laws that no mortal might enter Asgard unless they are a refugee from a most unimaginable catastrophe."

"Like having your whole planet turned to ash."

"Indeed," Loki agreed. "There is a stipulation made for those mortals intending to marry one of noble birth, but the king must agree to the marriage, and Odin never has, in my memory."

"Why not? Because we live for so short a time?" Thomas asked.

Loki shook his head. "It is more, I believe, that you are not of the Æsir, that your culture is very different from our– from theirs."

"It's yours too, Loki," Thomas interrupted gently.

Loki pressed his lips into a thin line, the only show of his disagreement. "Mortality," he continued, "can be...cured, after a fashion. You would be gifted one of Idunn's apples as welcome into the royal family, and that would give you the gift of near-immortality and all that would come with it."

Thomas' eyes widened. "I would be immortal?" he asked. "You wouldn't have to watch me die?"

Loki found swallowing suddenly difficult. "Exactly that," he whispered. And then, because it needed to be said, "But you would be made to watch others die: your parents, your sisters, Hemsworth and other friends."

"Oh, Loki," Thomas whispered, moving his hands from covering Loki's to cupping the god's face. "I can survive that, but I can't leave you alone. I would rather face Thanos again than leave you behind."

Loki didn't bother blinking back the tears that sprang to his eyes, and Thomas' thumbs wiped them away when they spilled over. "I love you," he breathed and Thomas smiled. "Marry me?"

"Yes," Thomas breathed back.

Loki would never be able to say who was happiest: Him, Thomas, or Thor.

**Author's Note:**

> I know, I should have written more about how they got the governments to agree and how they decided how best to meet the Chitauri, but that part was giving me such a headache, so I just skipped it. (Bah, it's long enough as it is.)
> 
> So, I'mma gonna work on _Code Name: Group Hug_ , next. And I may or may not write a sequel for Tom meeting people on Asgard. Ah, Frigga, Balder, Odin, Steve, Natasha, Bruce... All the fun. XD  
> But, yeah. No promises, really. _Group Hug_ has priority. (Assuming Chris will behave. *beats head against a wall*)
> 
> Also, I'm doing NaNoWriMo, so I'll be rather absent for the next month. I'm intending to work on an original piece, but I've a history of getting distracted by writing fanfiction in the middle of the month, so you might see _something_ posted. But, I intend to focus everything on my original piece. (If only so my family will stop pestering me to _publish something already_. *coughs*)
> 
> ~Bats ^.^x


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